Bill Pullman, who worked with Dahl on "The Last Seduction," beautifully plays the calm exte-rior and stormy motives of Rich Thurber, a lost soul whose past is a mystery.

Bill Pullman, who worked with Dahl on “The Last Seduction,” beautifully plays the calm exte-rior and stormy motives of Rich Thurber, a lost soul whose past is a mystery.

Thrown into a volatile situation, Thurber can choose the high or low road — sleep with lip-gnawing, small-town dreamer Carol (Heather Graham) and take the recently heisted cash or save the girl and knock off the bandits.

His choices are hinted at throughout as the piece sails along; the result is bleak and satisfying. Kim Coates’ well-performed turn as bad guy Trigger, a guy not long on brains who bemoans his birthname Francis, is quite funny.

Chandler’s writing always had the ability to confuse — who did what to whom is forever in question — and director Agnieszka Holland manages the piece handily.

With restraint and a husky voice, Danny Glover as Marlowe is a reach that pays off; the charming actor shows many sides to the rounded character. Kelly Lynch misses the out-of-control, irrational chick that Chandler wrote so well, but Dan Hedaya and Miguel Sandoval are perfect as bickering cops who are after the killer and a little piece ofglory. It’s an hourlong intricate piece that has some very funny moments, particularly when Lola pulls a gun on Marlowe.

Both films are rich in color, costume and aching saxophone. Producers Stuart Cornfeld and Lindsay Doran translate these stories into marvelous entertainment.

Pullman and Glover speak as much in voiceover as in dialogue, helping viewers get to the genius of the work.

In “Tomorrow,” Thurber tells the viewers, “Death had passed the old man by too many times by the time we kicked his door down for him to be afraid of it.

His time had come. And he knew it.” The writing rings through clearly and keeps the series from being simply a re-creation of a genre.

Red Wind Sun.

(26), 10-11 p.m., Showtime)

Production

Filmed by Mirage Enterprises in association with Propaganda Films for Showtime Networks Inc. "Fallen Angels" series: exec producers, Sydney Pollack, Lindsay Doran; producers, Stuart Cornfeld, William Hornberg; co-producer, Michael Nelson; supervising producer, Steve Golin; series created by Hornberg. #"Tomorrow I Die": director, John Dahl; writer, Steve Katz; story, Geoff Stier; adapted from the short story by Mickey Spillane; camera, Robert Stevens; editor, Stan Salfas; art director, Jim Dultz; sound, Sunny Meyer; music, Mary Ramos, Karyn Rachtman. #Cast: Bill Pullman, Dan Hedaya, Kim Coates, John Faureau, Dean Morris, Jack Nance, Bert Remsen, Grace Zabriskie. #"Red Wind": Director, Agnieszka Holland; writer, Alan Trustman; story, Stier; adapted from the short story by Raymond Chandler; camera, Robert Brinkman; editor, David Siegel; production designer, Rick Heindrichs; art director, Dultz; sound, Meyer; music, Ramos, Rachtman. #Cast: Danny Glover, Kelly Lynch, Dan Hedaya, Ron Rifkin, Miguel Sandoval, Ralph Anton, Bennet Guillory, Tyrin Turner, Valeria Golino. The "Fallen Angels" series, in its second season on Showtime, is a classy homage to some of America's most talented crime writers and provides a place for name actors to do lovely work. But what propels it is the writing and the heavy use of voiceovers to ensure that the original essence of the words is retained. Series should find a highbrow audience that appreciates the crime genre and quality production. "Tomorrow I Die," Mickey Spillane's classic short story, is crafted into a steamy 30 minutesby director John Dahl.